October 14, 2011

Use the one layer rule: Whenever possible, arrange the drawer contents only one layer deep. When you open the drawer, you should be able to see and access any item in the drawer without fist moving something else. When things are buried we rummage and clothes become unfolded and untidy.

Fold socks instead of balling them up...it puts less strain on the elastic and looks tidier.

Roll stockings and put them in a smooth sided organizer that won't snag them and cause them to tear. (I used clear plastic condiment trays from the dollar store)

Here are some photo tutorials on how to fold various items that may be in your (or your husbands) sock/undies drawer.

Folding Boxers

1. Lay out flat 2&3: Fold into thirds 4&5: Fold into thirds the other direction 6. Place in drawer standing up so your hubby can see them all and pick the ones he needs!

Folding Panties

1. Lay out flat 2&3: Fold into thirds 4. Fold bottom half up 5. Place in a drawer organizer standing up so you can pick the ones you want without messing them up.

Folding Sports Bras

1. lay it front side down 2. fold straps down 3&4. Fold into thirds.

Folding T-Shirts

1.Lay it front side down 2. Fold over at one edge of the neck 3. Fold over at the other edge of the neck 4. Take any over hang and fold it back so that you have a rectangle the width of the collar 5. Fold bottom half up 6.Fold in half again 7. (not shown) The shirt will now easily stand up in a drawer, allowing you to line them up in space efficient rows while still being able to see and access all of them!

1.Fold in half, cups together 2. Fold bottom to be the same width as the cup 3. Gently roll the bottom up. 4. Place bottom portion in bra cup

[This is day 14 in a 31 day series about organizing. Click here to read more about it and see all the posts so far. Also, I don't normally plaster my undies all over the Internet...this is a special occasion]

I love folding my undies like this! It really does help keep things organized...

Last year for Christmas someone gave me a "flip and fold" (as seen on tv). I laughed about it being a goofy gift - but I have eaten my words.It is WONDERFUL for t-shirts! I ended up refolding everything in mine and my husbands drawers and closets. They take up much less space and now they look awesome too!

Wow. I have undies just 'strewn' in their drawer. It's the only thing in the drawer. I don't have that many. I grab on colour (black or neutrals). Done. To me, folding them would take more time and energy than they warrant! Of course, I fold shirts, tanks etc... And I roll socks (dardem!) and put stockings in a zip lock bag (i wear stay ups, so it keep them paired, and easy to grab a pair without worry, snags etc)

Thanks for the tutorial! My husband hates how I fold (or don't fold) his underwear. I just stuff them in a drawer and he's like "why didn't you fold them?" And I have that absentminded look on my face like "they are just undies!" lol.

Love your organized drawer! One note though: you aren't supposed to invert the cups of lingerie or bras because it ruins the form and shortens the lifespan (similar to the reason you mentioned not rolling socks).

Genius! I am very disorganized, but WANT to be organized-- this might change my life. I get so irritated/discouraged when I spend so much time organizing my closet/drawers only to have them back to disaster within days because I stack things and then dig, thus creating a huge mess. I have spent all evening re-doing my tank tops, PJs, workout clothes, etc. in the closet via the "single layer technique" (with some help from Amazon and Costco boxes-- not cute, but they'll do) and am excited to see how it holds up. Thanks!

I used to fold my underwear but I've found that I really don't care which pair I wear unless I need to wear nude or white due to a particular outfit and the folding was just taking up too much time. Same goes for my son's underwear. It's the only thing in the drawer so who really cares. I do match and roll socks though, but again they just get tossed in a drawer.

Okay, this really HAS changed my life! My closet and drawers have never stayed organized for more than a week after the initial organizing. The single-layer method and using boxes/dividers has made a HUGE difference! I've gone through every closet and nearly every drawer in the house and they have STAYED organized! Amazing! Thank you for the inspiration and ideas!-Sandy (from Dec 17 comment)

I've never been one to fold my underwear, but today I decided to try it the way that you did - and I LOVE IT! There is so much space in my drawer and now I can see where all of my stuff is! Tomorrow I'm going to tackle my T-shirts!

I know that technically bras are not part of your tutorial(s) I have always been told that folding your bras and inverting the cups will make them wear out more quickly. just an fyi... :) thanks for all the organizing tips - you make me want to take a week off of work to organize and clean my house!!!!

I fold the tops of my pantyhose into thirds, then fold the legs in half, then roll up the leg portion and tuck it into a neat ball. I haven't noticed this stretching out the elastic at all like it does with socks. For my bras, I twist the bra in the middle so the cups fit together without inverting one of them.

Thank you so much for this! I just saved so much space in my dresser by compacting everything. It's neat, organized, and easy to find what I want to wear. Living in a residence hall does not allow for much furniture or space. Thanks again! :)

Here's my thoughts on this...undies don't need to be folded. Put them in the drawer and use the 10 mins you saved for something worthwhile. I'm a pretty neat and tidy person, but putting the undies in the right drawer is close enough!

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